The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-18

whose
Whose iangiing chords with jsrring notes would
The nymphs that heard the Swan of Avon's songl
What vision: greet the PILGRIM. rsptured eyes
The dead roturn.-they breaths.-they live again,
Joined by the host of Fancy's airy train,
Fresh from the springs of shakspeare's quiekening
The stream that slakes the souls diviner thirst
Here found the sun beams first;
Rich with his fame, not less shall memory prize
The gracious gift that humber wants supplies.
Der the wide waters reached the hand that gave
TIC all this bounteous wave
With health and strength and joyous beauty fraught
BEST be the generous pledge of friendship brought
From the far home of brothers love. unbought
Long may y. fair Ayon's fountain flow. enrolled
Castaa's spring. Egerias dewy cave,
And Horebs rock the God of Israel clave!
Land Of our fathers ocean makes us two
But heart to heart is true
Yet in her burning life blood reign contest
Her mothers pulses beating in her breast.
This holy fount, whose rills from heaven descend,
Its gracious drops shall Lend
Both foreheads bathed in that baptismal dew,
And love make one the old home and the newl
Mr. Irving read the poem with splendid effect,
amid recurring plaudits. and then continued as
follows
The occasion which has drawn us here to-day has
exceptional interest ard special significance
We have met to celebrate tribute which has been
paid to the memory of Shakespeare by an American
titizen and which is associated with the jubilee year
of the Queen The donor of this beautiful monument
am happy to claim personal friend. Mr. Childs
Is not only admirable representative of the public
spirit and enterprising energy of Philadelphia, but
is also who has endeared himself to very
wide circle by many generous deeds. do not wonder
ut his munfcence. for to like him it is second
nature / rejoice in the happy inspiration which
prompted the gift which worthily represents the
common homage of two great peoples to the most
famous man of their common race. We are honored
by the presence of distinguished American, the po
htcal representative of his country in England. But
it would do far less than Justice to Mr.. Phelps to
affirm that he is with us in a formal and diplomatic
On this spot of all others Americans cease
be aliens, for here they claim kinship with the
great master of English speech. How responsive is
American life and literature the influence which
done more than the work of any other man to mold
the thought and character of generations. The
simplest records of Stratford show that this is the
Mecca Of American pilgrims and that the place which
birth to Shakespeare is regarded the fountain
of the mightiest and enduring inspiration of
mother tongue. 1t is not difficult to believe that
amongst the visitors who wrote those imposing letters
u. S. Ain the visitors book in the historic
house hard by there whose coloquial speech
still preserves phrases which have down from
Shakspeare's time. Some idioms which supposed
70 be OF American invention can be traced back to
Shakespeare, and imagine that in the audience
at the old Globe Theatre there ignorant
and unettered men who treasured up
portraiture, and carried with them the
ocean the thoughts, words solemn vision and bright
silver dream which helped to nurture their
planted stock. [Cheers For it is above all things
poet of the people that Shakespeare is supreme. He
wrote in the days when literature made appeal to
the multitude Books for limited class but the
theater was open to all How many Englishmen
must have drawn from the stage which Shakespeare
enriched some of the priceless jewels of the hu
is the most expressive tribute to Shakespeare
which the peoples heart pay: ''Ten thou
sand honors and blessings on the bard who has
gded the dull realities of life with innocent iu-
sIons These simple words speak gratitude far moro
eloquent and enduring than whole libraries of criti-
cisn. 1t is not only because Shakespeare is the de-
light of scholars because nc has infinite charms for
the ost refined taste. that he yields the unbroken
staff of "Prospero' the imagination of mankind
1t because his spell is woven FROM truth simplicity,
and nature herself There lies the heart of the
terry Without effort the simplest mind passes into
the realms of Shakspeare's fancy. The learned and
the inexhaustibie wisdom of this supreme sage And
SO 1t seems 70 me that no happier emblem of Shak-
sPeare genius in his native place could have been
chosen than this memorial fountain.
suppose we shall never be content with what little
we know of Shakespeare. personal history: yet we
manners and persuasive speech. unassuming and Sc
rene and perhaps that ne had created In
the world of letters great marvel mis- contem
porary. Galileos. discovery in the world of science
And we may con1ure other fancles. we can picture
the throne Queen who rules wit genter sway than
sna me- s dne Of
We try to imagine his emotion when he finds this
dear England he loved so well expanded beyond seas,
and we can at least be happy in the thought that
when he had mastered the lessons of conflict which
divided rs from our kinsmen in America. he would
be proud to see in Stratford-the gift of a dis
tinguished American citizen--this memorial of
union under the shadow of his undying name. En-
thusiastic cheers
Sir Francis Cunliffe Owen was the next
speaker He made reference to Mr.. Childs a
personal whose generous
ure and many fine qualities were as well known
In England as in his own country.
The bands played the Queens Anthem" and
Hail. Columbia" and three cheers for the
Queen. the President and Minister Phelps and a
round of accamations for Mr. Childs concluded
the out door proceedings.
The guests and the corporation were after
ward given q banquet in the town hail. at which
the Mayor presided. The Immortal Memory
Of Shakespeare" was proposed by Theodore Mar
tin, and was received in revereut silence Lord
Dial and Mr. holy
responded. He said it was always a gratifying
duty to reply to toast, in
variably honored so heartily by Enelishmen;
The kindness which everywhere surrounded
the path OF Americas representative was evil
dence of the cordial friendship felt toward their
brethren across the In all that had been
said regarding the value of the continuance of
friendly relations between the countries he
daily concurred. These relations were not the
property OF England and America alone, but
the whole civilized world. 1t would
be n calamity too great to be anticipated if these
relations should terminate. 1t to be
borne in mind that the friendship of peoples de-
pended far less on the conduct of their public
men than the spirit which emanates from the
people themselves. Diplomacy would probably
get credit for more than II was worth IN the guild
ance Of these relations. 1t had really
very little place in creating the existing
friendship between the two great branches
of the Anglo-Saxon people. Nations did noe
quarrel unless they desired to do So when hos
tile provocatioE was not far to seek. Diplomacy
did not count for much compared with
knowledge and appreciation or each others
spirit Friendly relations were mucn better
maintained by mutual Justice and kindness than
by attempting to obtain diplomatic promises
that injustice and unkindness would not be at
tempted. Such promises might be- worthless,
and they wero useless when a mutual friendship
bound two countries together. IL a dis
nctve merit of the gift which his distinguished
countrymau, Mr. Childs, had presented to Strait
ford-on-Avon that it was in accord |
with all proprieties and in unison
with everything that will help to CO.
mont the friendship Of England and America. |
Ia what better place could an American citizen
erect memorialf Americans had. by pilgrim
age for successive generations. established their
right 10 heritage In Shakspeares birthplace in |
common with the English people. 1t was |
memorial. given in the jubilee year
Of the sovereign. He had been an interested
spectator OF the Jubilee, but nothing OF all he |
b ad seen impressed him more-not the paeeants
nor the concourse Of distinguished MCMILLAN |
the display OF the universal loyalty of the people
toward their Queen and country. TCheers To |